Birthday with the Boyfriend
by rainediamond
Summary: Nico's freezing and his BF is late, again. A birthday one-shot that can be read as Solangelo or Percico. Enjoy! (Character belongs to Rick Riordan)


Nico one shot

Nico shivered. Why was he standing out in the snow in New York City when it was -10 degrees out? Well waiting for his date of course. He buried himself in the warm black leather jacket Percy had given him for Christmas, nestling into the scarf Hazel knitted for his birthday last year.

He pushed his mouth out above the scarf and blew. He watched in fascination as his frosty white breath spread like an atomic bomb blast from his mouth.

His lungs burned in protest when he sucked another breath in. He could feel his sinuses flooding with cold, his brain calling him stupid, but he liked the way it burned. He relished the sensation of breathing, of being alive. He always would after that haunting Death Trance back during the Giant War.

Nico stuffed his hands in his pockets, wishing he'd worn the stupid gloves like Reyna told him to before he shadow traveled away from California this morning. Now his hands were ice cubes that moved like a wind-up toy. He could, however, still acutely feel the silver band, resting on his left ring finger, and a smile tugged at his lips.

In fact, he was grinning so broadly, his face hurt, but at least it was making the little girl next to him look less afraid.

He was engaged. Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, getting married to the love of his life, in just a few months. He'd been engaged for a year now, and in March he would be tying the knot with his long-time boyfriend.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the shout of a familiar voice as its owner ran toward him. Nico smirked as he took in the disheveled appearance of his lover sprinting toward him, an apology written on his handsome face.

"You're late," Nico teased as his fiancé reached him. The older boy smiled sheepishly.

"I'm only five minutes late. I'd say that's not bad considering the traffic."

He gave his fiancé an sweet kiss that made the little girl squeal. Her mother just pulled her away, but Nico flashed the girl a grin before she was pulled into the toy store next to the coffee shop they were standing outside of.

"Why were you late anyway? What were you doing this morning that you needed to be out of the apartment before I woke up? And on my birthday."

His questions were met with a triumphant smile. "I was out preparing your present."

"Oh, and can I see this present?"

Nico resisted the urge to run his fingers through his lover's hair as he waited.

"Let's get some food first. I'm starved."

Nico sighed but followed his boyfriend in, loving the scent of the coffee beans roasting. Once they had ordered two large chocolate chip cookies, a black coffee with cream and sugar, and large hot chocolate piled with whipped cream and chocolate flakes, they settled in to a little booth in the front corner of the boxy, but cozy, shop.

Nico munched quietly on his cookie as he waited and waited for his present. He was almost half-way through his coffee before his fiancé said anything.

"So I went to see you dad this morning."

Nico choked on his coffee, almost spitting it out. "You did what? You know he's not fond of you."

"That's putting it lightly."

"Why? Why did you see him?"

"Because I needed his help to make this." A wrapped package was pushed across the table. Nico smiled at the skull print wrapping paper. The package itself was long, wide, and thick, almost square in shape.

He looked into his partner's eyes, asking permission. When he got a nod, he tore through the paper. His eyes took in the cover of a photo album. In the window on the cover was a baby picture of him in his mother's arms.

Nico started crying as he flipped through the pages, looking at the carefully preserved baby pictures of him. Pictures of Bianca and their mother. Pictures with Hades. Pictures of him with Hazel. Pictures showing the crew of the Argo II and his friends at both camps. Pictures of Reyna. And most of all pictures of the day of his engagement. The time they went to Disney World, the trip to Venice, the trip to Comic Con with them in cosplay.

"How did you get all of these?"

"Let's just say Iris and Aphrodite owed me a favor for the newer ones, and the baby pictures involved a trip to your dad and some exploding zombies."

"You really did this for me?"

"Well, yeah. I love you Nico di Angelo. And I know you. I could tell when you were staring at my baby pictures last time we went to see my mom."

"Thank you," Nico said as he cried. "It's beautiful. I can't even remember some of the things in these older pictures, so thank you for returning my past."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," Nico breathed as their foreheads touched. They leaned in to kiss for a moment, pulling back to grin, and then going back to kissing.


End file.
